Learn Hebrew: Acco

An ancient city by the sea.

One of the most fascinating cities in Israel is Acco (), sometimes called Acre. This city presents the remains of various cultures dated back to the Bronze Age; is the home of different religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and the Bahai religion); and was the setting for numerous battles and conquests. In 2001 UNESCO designated Acco's Old City as a World Heritage Site.

Acco's old city is located on a small peninsula on the northern part of the Haifa bay. Theer you encounter the sea waves smashing into the ancient walls; the smells of the fresh fish and the luscious spices; the sounds of the market vendors hawking the best Humus and the refreshing pomegranate juice.

The origins of Acco's name are unclear. It appears in the Bible once in the territory of the tribe of Asher, as one place from which the Israelites did not drive out the Canaanites.

Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Tzidon (Judges 1:31)

According to the Jewish tradition, when the deluge of Noah's days reached the coast of Acco, G-d ruled: (Ad ko tavo velo tosif) meaning: “Arrive up to here and stop.” In other words, the flood waters did not penetrate the Land of Israel.

Sites in Acco

Fortified Walls - The Crusaders who failed to conquer Jerusalem, conquered Acco in the 12th century and made it the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. They built relatively thin walls around the city to keep it from inland invaders. When the Mameluks invaded the city in the late 13th century, they destroyed most of the city, killed every remaining Crusader and put an end to the Latin Kingdom. The city was left mostly uninhabited for hundreds of years, and was finally conquered by the Ottomans in 1517. It was not until the days of Daher el-Omar (1750-1775) and his successor, Jezzar Pasha (called by the locals Al-Jezzar, 1775-1814), that the city regained its power. In 1750, Daher el-Omar, the ruler of Acco, utilized the remnants of the Crusader walls as a foundation for his walls and also built walls on the seaside to protect Acco from invasion. The walls were reinforced between 1775 and 1799 by Jezzar Pasha and survived Napoleon's siege.

The walls include a thick defensive wall, a dry moat and cannon outposts. Nowadays, travelers may walk on the walls and scout the sea and the city. It is also impressive to take a boat ride and watch the waves crashing into the walls from the sea side.

The Jailhouse: When Dahar al-Omar and Al-Jezzar built the Citadel, they built a jailhouse inside the walls to detain criminals and political deportees from all over the Ottoman empire. Among the prisoners here was Baha'ullah, the founder of the Bahai religion. During the British Mandate, hundreds of the Jewish Underground members – fighting to establish a Jewish State – were imprisoned here by the British. On May 4, 1947, members of the "Irgun" or “Etzel” ( - an acronym for National Military Organization) boldly infiltrated the jail and set the imprisoned Jews free. Three Jews were killed in the operation, and three escaped prisoners who were later captured were put to death by hanging. You can read more about this heroic attempt here.

Knights' Halls: In the days when Acco served as the capital of the Crusaders, these halls hosted many pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. Until recently, the Knight Halls were covered by the floor of the Acco Citadel, which served as a jail during the days of the Ottomans and the British Mandate. Archaeological excavations revealed this complex of halls, which have now been restored.

The Mosaic Shul – A special tourist attraction is a synagogue whose interior walls are covered entirely with mosaic tiles. These millions of tiny tiles were laid painstakingly by hand over a period of 40 years. The mosaics depict biblical scenes and panoramas of Jewish holy sites. Truly an amazing site to behold!

Asher -
A boy’s name from the Bible; "Asher" was one of Jacob's sons, and one of the Twelve Tribes. According to the Bible, the name Asher is derived from the word osher, "happiness" (Genesis 41:50-52).

Article 15 of 15 in the series Learn Hebrew

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About the Author

Shira Cohen-Regev has a Masters Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Child Development and Social Work. She taught and tutored Hebrew as a Second Language both online and in academic settings. She is currently employed by the Israeli Ministry of Education.

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
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